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Borland C++ Developers' Bible by Mark Peterson Recommended

ISBN: 1-878739-16-6       Publisher: Waite Group       Pages: 875pp       Price: £26-95.

Categories:   reference     borland     advanced c++

Reviewed by Mike Burton in C Vu 5-3 (Mar 1993)

Personally the first thing I always do is to poke around and see what useful files there are (especially in obscure places like the DOC directory!) and I'm quite happy looking at documentation on screen within reason (remember that the paperless office is as unviable as its bathroom counterpart.)
Much of the material is simply and obviously paraphrased from the Borland Documentation, which is bad considering the original aim of the book was to explain aspects that are difficult to find there. At times the author over- covers some simple topics which may lead a cynical reader to wonder if he had correspondingly under-covered something crucial. My initial scrutiny revealed no such omissions but I have not yet used the book 'in anger'.

However this is a good, readable cross between introduction and reference, with many examples for DOS and windows. The book introduces each topic with a good background discussion in tutorial style that leads into the meat. I found it interesting and easy to read whereas the Borland material, though comprehensive, can be dry and heavy. Useful side-discussions arise giving the 'why you might want to' as well as the what and the 'how to'.

Only SOME of the topics are illustrated by the final chapter about a fractal-drawing program with full listings, some explanation, but limited demonstration of how the BC tools were used in its development. Here the author shows how to write a Windows application split into a DLL 'engine' communicating with the desktop 'front-end'.

Versions 3.0 and 3.1 are comprehensively covered including IDE, Command line compiler, Resource compiler and workshop, Help compiler, Project/make utilities, Profiler, Assemblers, Debuggers, Linkers, and some undocumented tools for windows. Compiler options are covered in greater detail than by Borland, which some readers may find useful if they need explanation of the ramifications, rather than being able to manage with just the simple facts. Each section has a good cross-reference ('See also') and there are quick references inside the front and back covers, though for some reason the author includes the functions of his 'Fractal' example program in these, clearly a pet theme.

For those like myself with limited deskspace it serves as a good single 'first point of reference' which can easily fit into the immediate workspace and weighs less than my PC. The author covers a lot in a small space and its good to have it all in a book I can lift!. Should further digging in the Borland material be found necessary a walk to the strengthened shelves is justified.